High speed printing apparatus



M y 1960 T. HENSE 2,936,704

HIGH SPEED PRINTING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 21, 1958 9 Sheets-Sheet 1 DUEIDDIEQ HEIDI] 13 INVENTOR THEO HENSE May 17, 1960 T. HENSE HIGH SPEED PRINTING APPARATUS 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 21, 1958 R O T 2 M H m T ATTORNEXS May 17, 1960 T. HENSE 2,936,704

HIGH SPEED PRINTING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 21. 1958 9 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR THEO HE MSE ATTORNEZS May 17, 1960 r. HENSE HIGH s am: PRINTING APPARATUS 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 21, 1958 GE ESQGHE.

THEO HE/VSE ATTORNEYS May 17, 1960 'T. HENSE HIGH SPEED PRINTING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 21. 195a 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 mmm Q3 "INVENTDR THEO HENSE' 7 ATTORNEYS N oum m e\wnvmw.\.mm mu w wmmvl:

qkwbmq 3 Que May 17, 1960 T. HENSE HIGH SPEED PRINTING APPARATUS 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 klled Nov. 21, 1958 N VENTOR THEO HENSE BY m m ATTORNEYfi May 17, 1960 T. HENSE HIGH spasm PRINTING APPARATUS 9 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed Nov. 21, 1958 y 1960 T. HENSE 2,936,704

HIGH SPEED PRINTING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 21, 1958 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 1/27: or column INVENTOR THEO HENSE JBY ATTORNEXS T. HENSE 2,936,704

HIGH SPEED PRINTING APPARATUS 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 May 17, 1960 Filed NOV. 21, 1958 INVENTOR THEO HENSE ATTORNEYS MNNB OWRR

E Q Q United States Patent HIGH SPEED PRINTING APPARATUS Theo Hense, Wilhelmshaven, Germany, assignor to Olympia Werke A.G., Wilhelmshaven, Germany Applicafion November 21, 1958, Serial No. 775,417

Claims priority, application Germany January 21, 1958 21 Claims. (Cl. 101-93) The invention relates to high speed printing apparatus for printing information received from a computing machine or the like devices.

The high speed printing apparatus according to the invention pertains to the type of printing apparatus in which several digits, i.e. ciphers, letters, symbols, interpunctuation marks and the like can be printed simultaneously during the printing of an individual text line corresponding to the information stored in a storage regs ister, whereby an increased printing speed is attained.

It is an object of the invention to provide a high speed printing apparatus which is free from the drawbacks of the known apparatus to be discussed hereinafter, which permits to attain higher printing speeds than with the known apparatus by avoiding losses of time inherent in the construction of the latter, is less noisy than the known types of apparatus and requires a relatively small numbre of type elements in spite of its high speed performance.

Among the known printing apparatus, the high speed types thereof are equipped with a storage register in which the information to be printed in a certain text line is stored, and from which that information is read out while the text line in question is being printed. The read-out operation takes place while a carrier of the printing apparatus bearing the type elements proper moves past a web of paper or similar suitable material and prints the read-out information on the web, read-out being effected in such a manner that, dependent upon the relative position of the type carrier to the paper web, one or several type elements can be actuated simultaneously.

In one of the known apparatus the type carrier'is designed as a wheel, and it is a drawback of this known system that the surface of the paper Web must be adapted to the curvature of the type carrying wheel if it is to be made possible that several type elements can be actuated to print simultaneously. Furthermore, in this type of construction the type carrying wheel must be arranged on one side of the paper web, while the type actuating means, for instance hammers hitting against the type printing elements, must be arranged on the opposite side of the paper web. This requires a complicated construction and is of disadvantage when several copies of a text line are to be printed, due to the necessary displacement of the paper layers in the direction toward the types required during the printing of each single type.

In another type of known apparatus described by me in Patent 2,874,634 a reciprocating, linearly moving type carrier bar is used to avoid the drawbacks of the above described type of apparatus. However, as in the case of all oscillatory operations losses of time due to the necessary bra-king and re-acceleration of the carrier bar, accompanied by the generation of aconsiderable noise, are such that the possibilities of increasing the printing speed of the apparatus are only limited.

Finally, printing apparatus is known which possesses a type carrier designed as a rotating drum.

Such systems suffer from the drawback of requiring a representing decimal fractions.

ice

great number of printing elements which must be housed on the cylindrical surface of the drum. For instance, in a simple printing apparatus destined for printing the deoadic numerals and having only ten number digits per text line and twelve decades on the drum, already printing elements are required. This number would be greatly increased if not only the 10 decadic numerals but which is characterized by the feature that at least one.

complete set of all different symbols which may occur, is arranged as a type sequence on an endless, continuously moving type carrying means which moves parallel to the paper web in a straight line at least over the reach through which the text line to be printed may extend,

so that during the preferably continuous movement of the endless carrier by at least a determined part of one cycle of movement of the carrier, a complete text line is printed.

An important, advantageous feature of the embodiments of the printing apparatus described hereinafter is the provision of means for inserting an interpunctuation symbol in the form of comma or, in Anglo-Saxon countries a point separating digits representing integers from digits This symbol shall be referred to hereinafter as a comma which is the equivalent of a decimal point. It is particularly advantageous that the comma insertion is adjustable so that it is possible to determine beforehand the number of digits representing. .decimal fractions, ie to the right of the comma in av printed information.

The invention will be still better understood from the further description thereof in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a simplest embodiment of the printing apparatus according to the invention, schematically repre: senting the principal parts thereof;

Figure 2 shows another embodiment of the printing apparatus according to the invention comprising an end less steel belt subdivided into a plurality of tongues each of which bears a type element;

Figure 3 is a partial plan view of another embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention in which the carrier means consist of an endless chain;

Figure 3A is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3A-3A shown in Figure 3;

Figure 4 is a partial view of another embodiment of a chain type carrier similar to that shown in Figure 3;

Figure 4A is a cross-sectional view along line 4A4A taken in Figure 4;

Figure 5 is. a complete schematical view in perspective of an embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention equipped with a chain type carrier;

Figure 6 is a partial view of a somewhat different embodiment of an endless carrier according to the invention comprising a belt of elastic material, in lateral view;

Figure 6A is a plan view of the carrier embodiment shown in Figure 6;

Figure 6B is a cross-sectional view 6B--6B in Figure 6; I

Figure 7 is a partial lateral view showing the arrangement of the printing elements in a chain type endless carrier similar to that shown in Figure 5;

Figure 7A is a cross-sectional view taken along line taken along line 7A-7A in Figure 7;

Patented May 17, 1960 p Figure 8 is a top view of another embodiment of the endless carrier means according to the invention which comprises a stationary track and a plurality of printing elements movable along the same;

Figure 8A is a partial sectional view of a detail of Figure 8;

' Figure 8B is a cross-sectional view along line 8B-8B in Figure 8A;

Figure 80 shows schematically type actuating means for use with the embodiment shown in Figure 8, 8A, and 8B;

Figure 9 illustrates the connections between the printing apparatus according to the invention and a storage register from which information is read out and printed;

Figure 9A shows a detailed wiring arrangement of a flip-flop circuit, power amplifier and electromagnet as shown schematically in Figure 9;

Figure 10 illustrates a comma insertion device for the use of the comma key of the printing apparatus according to the invention, as well as part of the electronic control means required for controlling the readout Operation;

GENERAL ARRANGEMENT In order to better understand the principle of operation of the printing apparatus according to the invention, there is schematically illustrated in Figure 1 an arrangement showing a conventional paper web carrying roll 11, which supports the "paper web 12 on which test lines are to be printed. This roll is rotatable stepwise about a stationarily mounted shaft 11a, and can be turned step by step with the latter to effect a line-by-line shift of the paper web 12. The means for effecting shift can be electrical and/or mechanical and are used, for instance, in manual typewriters and the like, wherefore these means are not shown in the drawings. Text lines are to be printed on the web 12 in lines parallel to the shaft 11a, so that the web 12 is free from curvature over the entire extension of such a text line.

Printing is efiected by a plurality of type-bearing printing elements to 9 which form a sequence of printing elements. Two such complete sequences are provided on the endless type carrier 13.

Between the carrier 13, there is disposed an ink ribbon 15. Opposite the paper web 12, in the same plane in which a text line, indicated at 12a is to be printed, there are arranged a plurality of electromechanical printingelement actuating means, for instance, hammers 14. The number of the latter is equal to the number of digit positions of which the text line to be printed is to con-' sist maximally; i.e. it is, of course, not necessary that a. symbol, letter or numeral is actually printed in each of these digit positions.

The actuation of such hammers occurs in conformity with information read out from a storage register, in a manner to be described in detail further below in connection with Figures 9 to 11.

The storage register forms preferably part of a command and information transfer system as described in my co-pending patent application Serial No. 775,533, filed on even date.

In Figure 1, there are provided twelve hammers 14, one for each printing position 12a; twelve of these print ing positions constituting a complete text line. Each type hammer can selectively actuate certain type carrying printing elements 0 to 9, as they move past the hammers in the direction of the arrow carried by carrier 13. As a hammer 14 hits against a type, it drives the latter against ink ribbon 15 and prints its respective character on paper web 12.

It will easily be understood that it is possible, if several, for instance two or three correct numbers register at the same time, several hammers 14 can be actuated simultaneously, thereby greatly accelerating the entire printing process.

If, for example, the number 3315 has to be printed as indicated on web 12, then in the starting or home" position of carrier 13 as shown in Figure 1, digits 1 (second from the rght) and 3 (fourth from the right) could be printed immediately and simultaneously. Then the carrier would have to move one step to the right and digit 3 (third from the right) could be printed; whereupon after four further steps, the printing element bearing numeral "5" registers with the first digit position from the right in the text line to be printed, and is actuated alone by the hammer opposite that position.

When displacing type carrier 13 by nine steps in the direction of the arrow (all types in the sequence 0 to 9 have at least once registered with eaeh'ot' the twelve possible digit positions of the text line on paper web 12, i.e. during a travel of the type carrier 13 by the aforesaid length of nine steps starting from its initial position shown in Figure 1, any 12-digit number could be printed. As will be understood from the above-described example, it is also possible, depending on the actual composition of the numbers to be printed, that several types are in printing position simultaneously, so that several printings can be effected at the same time. Although only the simultaneous registering of relatively few digits can be sta-- tistically expected, this fact nevertheless contributes to a very considerable increase of printing speed as compared with the printing of only a single type during each carrier advance step.

'The printing apparatus according to the invention pertains to this type of printers and ofiers several advantages over any of the known printers of this type.

As will be understood from the subsequently described figures, in particular Figures 2, 5 and 8, the type elements are borne by an endless carrier which may be a belt, a chain, or a stationary track, in which the type elements are movably arranged.

In this general arrangement the type elements always move, over a certain printing range, parallel with the plane of the paper web-carrying roll means in the direction of the text line to be printed thereon, so that all ac-' celerating or delaying effects are avoided.

Furthermore, the endless carrier naturally has an advancing reach past the text line range on the paper web and a return reach, usually parallel to the former reach, between which reaches there is ample space for housing the printing hammers or the like means for actuating the type-bearing printing elements, while the paper web would be arranged outside the area comprised by the two reaches.

' In this arrangement, the printing elements and the hammers are arranged on the same side of the paper web, with the many advantages, obvious to any skilled printer, resulting from this arrangement.

In the embodiment of the printer according to the in- 19a and 19a, which shafts are vertical to the plane in.

which the steel belt 16 extends. Belt 16 is provided with a plurality of elastic steel tongues 17 which bear the types or printing elements 18 toward their free ends and on the outside of the belt reaches.

The tongue 17 can be provided in belt 16 by sawing or punching narrow gaps between the tongues. Types 18 are soldered to the tips of tongues 17 is a conventional manner. Perforations 20 may be provided at the lower marginal portion of steel belt 16 in order to prevent slipping of the latter on drums 19 and 19' by conventional means, for instance by cogs 19b mounted on the cylindrical surfaces of drums 19 and 19.

The drums can, for instance be driven via gears 21, 22, 23 and 24 by a motor 25. The entire system 27 is controlled, for instance, by means of the linking unit of a command and information transfer system of the type described in my co-pending application.

.Linking unit 27 can be connected via cables 28 and 29 to the control and decoding units, respectively, of the transfer system, and cooperates with contact discs 30 and 31 via cables 32 and 33. It is further connected via cables 34 and 34 to a photoelectric cell 35 and a light source 36, respectively, the functions of which will be explained in detail further below.

Hammers 14 are actuated electromagnetically, for instance in the manner described by me in Patent 2,874,634, issued on February 24, 1959, and effect printing of a character on paper web 12 in the same manner as described in the above application.

Another embodiment of the endless carrier means in the printing apparatus according to the invention is illustrated in Figure 3. In this figure, the carrier-means consist of a chain having members 37 which are connected with each other by means of fish-plates 38. Tongues 17' are always part of a steel belt segment 39, and each segment is mounted on a chain member 37, for instance by means of angle plates 39a and rivets 39b or the like.

A chain offers the advantage of a longer life in contrast to the embodiment of a steel band shown in Figure 2.

The drive means for the chain comprise sprocket wheels 40, rotatably mounted on shafts 40a (Figure 3A) arranged perpendicularly to the plane through the text line to be printed at 12a and indicated by a phantom line P-P in Figure 3A.

Cogs 40b of the sprocket wheels 40 engage the chain.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 4, 4A and 5, the steel segments 41 serve simultaneously for bearing tongues 17 and uniting chain members 37, thereby replacing fish-plates 38. In this embodiment, sprocket wheels 40' rotate about horizontally disposed shafts 40a. Segments 41 are directly riveted to pins 42 of chain members 37.

The arrangement of the main parts shown in Figure 5 permits to reduce the width of the entire printing apparatus, as will be easily understood by a comparison with the embodiment shown in Figure 2.

I The embodiment shown in Figures 6, 6A and 6B comprises a carrier belt 46 of highly elastic material in which the steel tongues 17' are individually embedded, being secured therein, for instance by the belt material extending through bars 47 provided in each tongue.

Belt 46 is provided on one side with cog-like protrusions 48 which engage cog-equipped drums or similar means for moving the belt.

The belt 46 which may be of rubber-like or suitable plastic material permits a less noisy operation than a chain.

A further embodiment of the carrier means in the printing apparatus according to the invention is shown in Figures 7 and 7A. In this embodiment, each type 18 is mounted at one end face of a type-carrying bar 51. These bars 51 are inserted in corresponding openings 52a and 52a of broadened fish-plates 52 and 52, respectively, which unite, at the same time, the chain members 37. The type-carrying bars 51 are for instance, arranged in groups of three in fish-plates 52, 52'. They are displaceable in the direction of the arrow in Figure 7A against the retracting force of spring 53 which urges type head 18a against fish-plate 52'.

.A printing hammer 14 would hit against the rear end 51a of bar 51 and drive type head 18a into contact with ink ribbon 15 and paper web 12.

The chain is driven in the same manner as described in Figure 5.

The embodiment shown in Figures 8, 8A, 8B and 8C differs from the embodiments described hereinbefore in that the carrier means for the type-carrying printing elements is not movable, but stationary, and consists of a track comprising suitably profiled walls 58 and 59, made for instance of iron sheet. Mounted at even distance from each other on a supporting wall (not shown) printing elements 60 are slidably disposed in this track and bear on their end surfaces the types 18b. The ends 60c of elements 60 along the inner track 58' are so beveled that the cogs 57b and 570 of sprocket wheels 57 can securely engage the elements 60 and push them along track 60 in the direction of the arrows in Figures 8 and 8A, i.e. transversely to the longitudinal axis of each of elements 60.

As can be seen particularly in Figures 8A and 8B, the inner track .wall 58 is provided, in its curved portions, with elongated slots 58a and 58b through which cogs 57b and 57a can pass to enter the gaps between beveled ends 600 of elements 60. The beveled surfaces are only provided in two recessed portions 60a and 60b of each element 60.

Laterally provided rim portions 580 and 590 of track walls 58 and 59 are so cut away in the reach of the printing surface (paper web 12, text line range 12a) that the types 18b may be easily moved by hammers 14c, transversely to the general movement along the track,

into contact with the ink ribbon 15 and paper web 12, recess 60a and 60b being out of engagement with cogs READ-OUT AND PRINTING CONTROL It has been mentioned above that, in the case of high speed printing apparatus of the type described, in which several types may be simultaneously printed during the printing of a single text line, it is necessary to store the entire text of the respective line in a storage unit from which the text data can then be read out during the printing thereof.

The information contained in the respective text line is usually available in coded form, for instance in threeexcess-code, and must be stored in decoded form in the aforesaid storage register. These operations do not form part of the present invention, but one convenient way of effecting them is by using a command and information transfer system as described in my copending patent application Serial No. 775,533, filed of even date as this application.

.In Figure 9, there is shown the read-out part only of a magnetic core line and column storage register 500. Information is stored at the intersections of register columns 501a to 5011 with readout diagonal lines 50211 to 5022. A magnetic core of conventional design is located at each of these intersections. The operation of the magnetic core register and the functions of these cores are well known in the art and also described in my copending patent application supra.

Diagonal loops 502a to 5022: have common terminals with diagonal loops502k to 5021.

Column loops 501b to 501: are connected at their one end to terminals 539a to 539s and via diodes 503b to 503i to ground. The opposite ends of register read-out columns 501a to 501: are connected via the respective input terminals to monostable flip-flop 510a to 51014,

flip' flo'p' 510a being connected to a special read-out coluinn 5011: for the minus" sign.

The output terminals of the aforesaid monostable flipflops 510a to 510a are connected to power amplifiers 520a to 520u and electro-magnets 521a to 52110. Details of the arrangement of a power amplifier and electro-magnet are shown in Figure 9A.

Each electro-magnet is adapted for actuating a hammer 14 in a printing machine, which operating member, in turn, actuates a moveable type carrying element 60. The endless type carrier bearing the printing elements 60 or the like is designated in Figure 15 by reference numeral 111.

The mechanical part of the read-out control and the comma insertion device associated with, or forming part of the printing apparatus according to the invention, shown in detail in Figures 2, 10, 12A, and 12B. As can be seen from these figures, contact disk 30 bears on its top surface contact terminals 503a to 503t.

A slide contact 536 scans these terminals in which the above mentioned diagonal loops 502a to 502t of the readout system of matrix register 500 end. Contact disk 31 forms part of the comma insertion device and bears on its top surface starting contact terminal 540x, intermediary or working terminals 540a to 540a, blind terminal 540z, working terminals 5400 to 540s, and final terminal 540y.

Another slide contact 537 scans the aforesaid contact terminals 540x to 540y. Both slide contacts 536 and 537 are rigidly mounted on shaft 26 (Figures 2 and 12B) for rotation therewith and via gear train 21, 22 synchronously with endless carrier 16 (or 111 in Figures 9 and 11).

8' mechanical contact successively with contact terminals 503a to 503i. This mechanical contact is not sufficiently exact in time to guarantee a sharply spaced work performance, for instance an exactly spaced printing of a sequence of symbols.

Therefore, a read-out pulse g is only caused to flow through slide contact 536 and diagonal loops 502a to 5021 a short instance after a mechanical contact has been made and in such a manner that the time intervals between successive read-out pulses g, are exactly constant. This pulse is generated each time photoelectric cell 35 receives light from lamp 36 during movement of the carrier 5119 tovviard the right, as indicated by the arrow in Figures Since the hammers 521a to 521w require a little time before efiecting the actual operation, for instance of printing a symbol, pulse g must pass through diagonals 502a to 502! correspondingly earlier to effect exact work performance. This is achieved by disposing the photoelectric cell 35 slightly displaced toward the left relative to the exact positioning of the printing symbols or the like tools on the carrier 111 (or 16 in Figure 2).

Furthermore, the pulses read out from the register would be too short to satisfactorily bring about the performance of work by the hammers 521a to 521a. Therefore, these read-out pulses are lengthened and amplified in monostable flip-flops 510a to 510t and amplifiers 520a Terminals 540a to 540i: and 5400 to 540s on contact disk 31 are connected via cables 33 to corresponding contact terminals 541a to 541s on contact disk 33a (Figure 2).

The cornma" insertion device further comprises contact disk 33b bearing contact terminals 539a to 539s in which terminals the register columns 501b to 501i of storage register 500 end.

The comma insertion device further comprises a shaft 26a rotatable selectively at will by means of knob 26b, whereby slide contacts 542 and 543, which are rigidly mounted on shaft 26a are adjusted to a determined contact position each with one of contact terminals 541a to 541s and 539a to 539s, respectively. In Figure 10,

slide contacts 542 and 543 have been so adjusted that the former slide contact makes contact with terminal 541m, while the latter slide contact makes contact with terminal 53%.

The electric part of the read-out and printing control system is shown in Figures 10 and 11.

If read-out slide contact 537 makes contact with precontact 540x positive pulse g from photoelectric cell 35 via anode amplifier 581 and terminal 0105 (Figures 10 and 11) passes via contact terminal 540x and terminal 0807 in box 27 to heptode and circuit 582 as pulse 1' This and circuit 582 is prepared by positive potential from side 304b of flip-flop 304 by a pulse f received via terminal 0803 of box 27 from the storage register as soon as the information relating to a determined text line has been completely stored therein. The output side of and circuit 582 yields negative pulse i which is applied to side 583b of flip-flop 583. From the output of side 583b positive potential is applied to the heptode and circuit 584 and to diode and circuit 585, preparing these and circuits. Pulses g from photoelectric cell 35 can now pass through and circuit 584 and are fed, after amplification, in an amplifier 586 of the type illustrated in Figure 10G as scanning pulses g, into the diagonal loops of register 500 via slide contact 536. Pulses 3 pass the comma" insertion device as pulses i and arrive via slide contact 542 and terminal 0810 in and circuit 585 and pass through the same and as pulses i via terminal 0809 through slide contact 543.

During the read-out operation, slide contact 536 makes "Commas" can be inserted in the following manner:

Slide contacts 542 and 543 are previously set, for instance by hand, to a selected pair of contact terminals, for instance at 541m and 539b, respectively. Slide contact 537 moves toward the left synchronously with carrier 111 and makes contact with contact terminals 540s, 540r, 540: and so forth, pulse g being applied after each contact without any further effects, until slide contact 537,

makes contact with contact terminal 540m. The pulse g arriving a short instant thereafter passes through contact terminal 540m, slide contact 542, amplifier 544 and slide contact 543 via contact terminal 53% into column 5010 and causes a comma to be printed. It is to be noted that the comma does not occupy a full position but is placed laterally toward the right side of the number after which it is to be inserted. correspondingly, a hammer printing the comma must be actuated twice during the printing of a full text line, once to print the comma" and the second time to print the number before, i.e. to the left of the comma.

Continuing now the description of the functions of the electronic part of the control unit shown in particular in Figure 11, the output of side 5831; of flip-flop 583 is also connected to an and circuit 588 and, on the other hand, via diflerentiator 589 to a computing machine emitting pulse i thereto. The other input of and circuit 588 is connected via terminal 081 1 to the final contact terminal 540y of the comma" insertion device. When slide contact 537 makes contact with terminal 540y pulse 3 from the photoelectric cell 35 passes as positive pulse i into and" circuit 588 and leaves the latter as negative pulse i to be introduced on the one hand intoside 583a and side 304a, thereby resetting flip-flops 583 and 304 to enable these flip-flops to receive new informa-" The'positive output potential from thyratron amplifier 567 is applied to a solenoid coil T effecting the line-byline advance of the paper in the printing apparatus. Anode potential is supplied to thyratron amplifier 567 from the source of positive potential via switch 568 and is interrupted when this switch opens whenever a nose 569 of armature T lifts switch 568 due to being attracted :by solenoid coil T .This breaks pulse simultaneously,

' 9 with the paper line advance schematically indicated by the pawl and ratchet wheel arrangement 570.

Furthermore, and circuit 582 is prepared by positive potential from flip-flop 304 as soon as the latter is reversed by pulse and as soon as slide contact 537 makes contact with terminal 540x, pulse g from the photo electric cell 35 passes as pulse 11, to and" circuit 582 and onward as pulse i and switches flip-flop 583 to its opposite state. The output of side 583/5 applies the positive potential to and circuits 584 and 585 as described and pulse g can pass as read-out pulse g via slide contact 0824 into the diagonal loops of register 500 and read-out takes place.

A comma is read out as soon as slide contact 537 reaches contact terminal 540m, in view of the fact that slide contact 542 has previously been set to make contact with terminal 541m. The read-out pulse g passes as pulse i to the and circuit 585' already prepared by the positive potential from flip-flop 583, and onward as pulse i through slide contact 543- into register column 501c.

When the entire register is emptied and the information contained therein has been printed, slide contact 537 makes contact with final contact terminal 540y and pulse g arrives as pulse i via terminal 0811 at the and" circuit 588 prepared as described above from flip-flop 583, and passes and circuit 588 as negative pulse i This pulse now resets flip-flops 583 and 304.

New information can now be stored in-the matrix register. I

Also, when resetting flip-flop 583-, a pulse 1 is generated'from flip-flop side 583b and differentiator 589 which pulse i informs a computing machine or the like that the transfer system is ready for transferring further nformation. At the same time, from the output of flipflop side 583a and differentiator 566, the above-mentioned pulse j is emitted and effects the above described line-byline displacement of the paper in the printing apparatus.

Example of operation A preferred embodiment of the transfer system according to the invention, which is illustrated in Figures 2, 9, 10, and 11, shall now be used, for explaining, by way of example, the read-out and printing of a nineteen digit number. 1 i

The printing apparatus is designed forthe printing of a'text 'line containing twenty-one digits, the first to n neteenth-digit from the left hand end position be ng destined for ciphers 0, l, 2, 9; the twentieth digit on the carriencounting from the left, is destined for receiving a minus sign, if available; the twenty-first digit is destined for receiving one of seven differentsymbols each of which consists of three coded pulses, be1ng designated hereinafter as A, B, C, E, G, J, and K. Thtse letters are only used symbolically instead of such interpunctuatiori marks as a question-mark, an exclamation-mark, a hyphen, a period, or mathematical symbols such as a plus sign and the like.

In the same space as one of the nineteen cipher d gits, a comma may be inserted by a corresponding ad ustment of the comma insertion device which adjustment must have been made prior to storing information in register 500.

-It shall be assumed that a nineteen-digit number is to be printed, the first digit of which shall be 4, the eighteenth digit of which shall be 3, the nineteenth hgit shall be 8, with a decimal point, called a coma for the sake of brevity and following continental European practice. The number shall be negative, so that rr inus sign will be the twentieth digit, and a symbol C representing, for instance a credit sign shall occupy the place of the twenty-first digit.

The printed number will therefore look as follows:

As part of the linking unit, photoelectric cell 35 is entire set of possible types required for printing, while the first set extending from the zero opposite from type 0 opposite hammer 521a in Figure 9 to symbol K opposite hammer 5211 in the same figure passes the set of hammers 521a to 52111, the second set extending from symbol 0 opposite hammer 521a to the left moves past the light source-photoelectric cell assembly and is scanned thereby.

It shall now be assumed that during its continuous movement, one of these two sets of types attains the printing position illustrated in Figure 9. The series of pulses g emitted by photoelectric cell 35 remains initially without effect.

However, as the first type to be used for printing reaches the position at a distance of one type width prior to reaching the first printing position, slide contact 537 makes contact with contact terminal 540x, pulse g amplified as g in anode amplifier 581 (Figure 11), reaches heptode and circuit 584 and via terminal 0105, slide contact 537, and terminals 540x and 0807 as pulse i Since, as already described, a pulse f received from the storage unit via terminal 080-3 as soon as storage of a text line information in register 500 has been completed, has prepared flip-flop circuit 304, flip-flop side 304b is raised to higher potential and has prepared heptode and" circuit 582. Pulse i therefore opens and circuit 582 and passes as pulse i to flip-flop circuit 583. The latter is reversed and the resulting raised potential from side 583b thereof prepares diode and circuits 584, 585, and 588. Pulse 3; can now pass through and circuit 584 as pulse g After amplification in anode amplifier 586 these pulses arrive as g at slide contact 536 and from there via diagonal line. terminals 503a to 503t through diagonals 502a to 502t reading out the information stored in the magnetic cores along these diagonal lines.

During the continuous movement of carrier 111 from the position illustrated in Figures 9 and 11 in the direction of arrow 111d, a pulse g is now generated at each step of carrier 111 in that direction. Each pulse g, passes and" circuit 584 due to the switching of flip-flop circuit 583 effected during the first step, and further passes anode amplifier 586 and arrives at the diagonal lines with which slide contact 536 happens to make contact.

In the example now being discussed, the magnetic core 500 at the intersection of diagonal line 502t and column 501a had been used to store 3 as the fourth de-' coded information of the number to be stored. Pulse g arriving on diagonal loop 502t reverses the magnetic state of the core and thereby generates a read-out pulse k which is applied to monostable flip-flop circuit 5100. The pulse is broadened in this flip-flop and then amplified in amplifier 520a and energizes magnet 5210 thereby actuating the corresponding hammer of the printing apparatus which prints cipher 3.

magnetic cores in which the latter two information had been stored, namely register elements 500,; and 500 are 11 read out via the same diagonal loop 502m (Figure 9). Furthermore, during this last mentioned twelfth printing step, magnet 521a simultaneously effects the printing of a comma in the following manner:

As has been mentioned hereinbefore, the comma position had been pre-determined by correspondingly setting in advance slide contacts 542 and 543 (Figure 10) to register with contact terminals 53% and 541m, respectively. After the twelfth printing "step counting from the starting position, pulse g passes via slide contact 537 to contact terminal 540m and from there via contact terminal 541m and slide contact 542 as pulse i to the prepared diode and circuit 585. It passes the latter as pulse i and arrives via slide contact 543 and contact terminal 53% to register column 501a and via the latter to monostable flip-flop circuit 510e, amplifier 520a and magnet 5210. The comma is thus printed at the same position in which the numeral 3 has already been printed. Due to its arrangement in the right hand bottom corner of the respective type carrier the comma" will be printed in correct relationship to the numeral 3" occupying the same position. Of course, if this is desirable, the comma may occupy a full position of its own, or it may be printed as a decimal point, either to the right of the next preceding numeral in the same printing position, or occupying a position of its own.

After carrier 111 has passed all twenty work performing, i.e. printing positions, slide contact 537 moving synchronously with the carrier arrives at the final contact 540y and passes pulse g as i to the prepared heptode and circuit 588 (Figure 11) which now, in turn, releases pulse i This pulse states that read-out and corresponding printing of the register information has been terminated and resets flip-flop circuits 304 and 583 to starting position. Thereby, flip-flop side 583a emits a positive pulse j via dilferentiator 566 to thyratron amplifier 567 whose thyratron is fired and excites the windings of electromagnet T Magnet T then actuates in a known manner the line-by-line shift of the paper on which the next following text line can then be printed.

After the paper has been shifted by one line, the thyratron of amplifier 567 is again extinguished by switch 568 being opened by contact arm T Magnet T is thereby deenergized since anode voltage U is briefly interrupted. The complete exploitation of the stored information corresponding to the printing of a complete text line is thereby terminated.

It has been assumed that the carrier 111 bears at least two complete sequences of all those types always required for effecting with certainty a complete printing of a text line regardless of the order in which some or all of the types appear therein.

.The length of one such sequence is designated by reference mark a in Figures 9 and 11, and consists of types 2 to K and additionally types 0 to 9. When this sequence of 28 types is displaced by 19 steps to the right, i.e. by a length designated with 'y in Figure 9, a complete text line is printed because each hammer 14 corresponding each to one of magnets 521a to 521u has had the chance to strike at least once against each of all occurring types in the type set. I

In the example of a type sequence illustrated in vFigures 9 and 11, printing of a second text line can only begin, when the numeral type 2 following 1'," i.e. the last type, in sequence a has reached a starting or home position which must be, according to the above requirement of nineteen steps, in a displacement by length 7, the position opposite magnet 5210. This is only the case after a displacement of the carrier 111 by twentyone steps, corresponding to length 6. During this displacement, no printing takes place, the time required therefor being utilized for effecting a line-by-line shift of the paper web.

The total period required from the instant of starting the printing of a text line till the instant of starting the 7 12 printing of the next following text line corresponds to (6+ or in the example of Figures 9 and 11, 19+21=40 steps of an endless carrier having the total length of Of course, other type sequences may be used for which the diagonal lines of register 500 and the contact terminals on contact disks 30, 31, 33a and 33b will have to be suitably changed.

Thus, it is possible to shorten the time required for line-by-line shift of the paper, by beginning the printing of a next following text line with a different type than that with which the printing of a preceding text line had been started.

In this case, a number of additional contact terminals will have to be provided on contact disks 30, 31, 33a and 33b, respectively. Care must, of course, be taken to provide suflicient time between the end of printing a text line and the beginning of printing the next following one, for effecting the line-by-line shift of the paper, and also for storing new information in the register 500.

The gear ratio of gears 21, 22, 23, and 24 to each other must be such that contact arms 536 and 537 complete one revolution when the type carrier 111 (or 16 in Figure 2) travels over the length (7+6). The contact-free angular space 6' on disks 30 and 31 must correspond in time to the distance 5 in Figure 9.

If distance 6 should not be suflicient for effecting the line-by-line shift, an additional distance I: can be provided at random on carrier 111, for instance, where this is indicated in Figure 11. The time available for the line-by-line shift of the paper then corresponds to a travel of the carrier 111 by the length (6+e).

The speeds that can be attained with the printing apparatus according to the invention may be as high as 70,000 types per minute.

The above described figures contain a number of block symbols which represent electrical arrangements shown in detail in Figures 10A to 10H.

Figure 10A illustrates the arrangement of a monostable flip-flop, a power amplifier, and a magnet 521 used between the exit of a register column and the electromechanical means for actuating a hammer 14; the latter is attracted or released by magnet 521.

Figure 10B shows the symbol, used in this application, and a conventional'diagram of a diode and circuit, in which a pulse III only appears at the output terminal if pulses I and H appear simultaneously at the two input terminals. And" circuits of this type are described, for instance, in High Speed Computing Devices, by Research Engineer Associates, published in 1950 by McGraw-Hill Book Company, page 41.

Figure illustrates the symbol used herein and a conventional diagram of a heptode and circuit dilfering from the and circuit shown in Figure ICE in that the output pulse is phase inverted.

Figure 10D shows a symbol and conventional diagram of one type of difierentiators.

Figure 10E illustrates a power amplifier and a tool actuating magnet such as used in the storage unit illustrated in Figure 9 described hereinbefore, and the symbol used for this arrangement.

Figure 10F shows the symbol, used in this application, and the actual, conventional wiring diagram for a phase inverting and voltage amplifying anode amplifier.

Figure 10G illustrates a somewhat different wiring diagram and the corresponding symbol used in this application, of a conventional load amplifier for direct insertion of pulses into the lines or columns of storage registers. This amplifier illustrated in this figure is particularly suited for the insertion of pulses into magnetic core registers.

Figure 10H illustrates a conventional bistable flip-flop having two input and two output terminals.

It will be understood that this invention is susceptible to modification in order to adapt it to different usages andconditions, and,accordingly, it is desired to comprehend such modifications within this invention as may fall the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A high speed printing apparatus of the type described and adapted for Pr ting on a paper web in a plurality of parallel straight zones of the latter, comprising 'a number of type-bearing elements, types on at least a part of said type-bearing elements, an endless carrier for said type-bearing elements, and adapted for effecting a cyclic movement of said type-bearing elements in a given plane and a straight movement over at least one given reach; means for supporting a paper web so that a straight zone of the latter extends parallel to said given reach of said endless carrier and destined for the printing of a textline thereinto; means for shifting said paper web line-by-line in a direction perpendicular to said straight zone; means for effecting said cyclic movement of said type-bearing elements in said plane; said type-bearing elements being disposed on said endless carrier next adjacent each other and adapted for selection and temporary displacement at right angle to said movement, in the direction toward said paper web zone; means for urging said type-bearing elements toward said textline zone, for effecting a printing of a type character on said paper web and means for retracting said typebearing elements after effecting a printing.

2. A high speed printing apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that said endless carrier is an elastic metal belt. g

3. 'A high speed printing apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that said endless carrier is an elastic belt of plastic material.

4. A high speed printing apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that said endless carrier is a chain.

' 5. A high speed printing apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that said endless carrier is a track in which said type-bearing elements are slidably guided during their cyclic movement longitudinally relative to said track.

6. A high speed printing apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said type-bearing elements are a plurality of resilient tongues associated with said endless carrier, each of which tongues extends transversely to the longitudinal extension of said carrier and at least part of which tongues bears a type at the free tongue end.

7. A high speed printing apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said carrier is an endless resilient belt, and wherein said type-bearing elements are resilient tongues being integral with said belt and extending transversely to the longitudinal extension of the latter, at least part of said tongues bearing a type at the free tongue end.

8. A high speed printing apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said carrier is an endless resilient belt of plastic material, and wherein said type-bearing elements are resilient metal tongues embedded in said belt andextending transversally to the longitudinal extension of the latter, at least part of said tongues bearing a type at the free tongue end.

9. A high speed printing apparatus as described in claim 4, wherein said chain comprises a plurality of members and fish plates linking said chain members and disposed every two on opposite sides of said chain members to form pairs, said fish plates being enlarged to protrude transversally beyond said chain, and wherein said type-bearing elements are displaceably mounted through the protruding portions of each pair of said fish plates, said means for retracting said type-bearing elements being alsomounted on one fish plate of each pair. 10. A high speed printing apparatus as described in claim 5, wherein said trackcomprises an outer and an inner guide rail of U-shaped cross section with the open 14 claim 5, wherein said track extends over two straight reaches between two curved sections and further comprise an outer and an inner guide rail of U-shaped cross section with the open ends of the Us facing each other, the lower portion of the U-shaped cross section being cut away in said curved sections; the means for effecting said cyclic movement of said type-bearing elements, comprising a sprocket wheel centrally located in each curved section of said track and having cogs which protrude through said cut away portions'into said track to engage said type-bearing elements therein soas to move the latter along said track.

12. A high speed printing apparatus as described in clam 11 wherein each type-bearing element is provided with at least one recess to be engaged by the cogs of the corresponding sprocket wheel.

13. A high speed printing apparatus as describedin claim 10, wherein the lateral portion of said outer and inner guide rail is cut away in the reach facing the surface of the paper web over the extension of the entire textline.

14. A high speed printing apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said means for retracting said typebearing elementscomprise a leaf spring extending over the entire reach facing said textline zone.

15. A high speed printing apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said means for urging said type-bearing elements toward said textline zone comprise hammers and are housed within the area confined by said endless carrier.

16. A high speed printing apparatus of the type described, comprising a number of type-bearing elements, types on at least part of said type-bearing elements, an endless carrier for said type-bearing elements, and

adapted for effecting a cyclic movement of said typebearing elements in a given plane, and a straight movement over at least one given reach; means for supporting a paper web in a straight zone extending parallel to said given reach of said endless carrier, and destined for the printing of a textline into said zone; means for shifting said paper web line-by-line in a direction perpendicular to said straight zone; means for effecting said cyclic movement of said type-bearing elements in said plane; said type-bearing elements being disposed on said endless carrier next adjacent each other and adapted for selection and temporary displacement at right angle to said movements, in the direction toward said paper web zone; means for urging said type-bearing elements toward said textline zone, for effecting printing of a type character on said paper web; means for retracting said type-bearing elements after effecting a printing; electronic storage means from which information data to be printed can be read out for a corresponding printing of said information as said textline into said paper web zone; said means for urging said type-bearing elements toward said textline zone being electro-mechanically connected to said electronic storage means and comprising mechanically displaceable electric contact means which are disposed in synchronism with the cyclic movement of said typebearing elements.

17. In a high speed printing apparatus controlled by a storage unit and comprising at least one sequence of number-bearing types and a printing surface of given width, stationary rotatable supporting means for supporting said printing surface in a straight zone extending across the width of the surface, a number of elements for bearing said types and being adapted for selection and temporary displacement'at right angle to said zone of said printing surface toward the same; means for advancing said type-bearing elements selectively toward said zone so as to print a textline on said printing surface in said zone, and means for retracting said typebearing elements after elfecting a printing, the improvement of an endless carrier adapted for transporting said type-bearing elements in a continuous cyclic movement in a given plane and in part of said cyclic movement a straight movement over a given reach parallel to and extending over the entire length of said straight zone of said printing surface, said type-bearing element advancing and retracting means being located relative to said printing surface on the same side as said endless carrier and the type bearing elements borne therein.

18. The improvement described in claim 17, wherein said type-bearing element advancing and retracting elements are located inside the area circumscribed by said endless carrier.

19. In a printing apparatus controlled by a storage unit and comprising rows of character bearing types and a printing surface, on which textlines are to be printed, supporting means for said printing surface, and means for efiecting a relative displacement between said rows of character types and said printing surface line by line with regard to each other, selection of the types to be printed being made successively in each line with the aid of a relative displacement between said type rows and said printing surface at right angle to said line by line displacement, the combination of at least one endless type set carrier bearing at least one complete set of all character types in a random sequel, and adapted for efiecting a cyclic movement of said type set in a given plane, in a straight movement over a given reach of said cyclic movement so as to move said types along a sub-. stantially straight lined row in a direction parallel to the textlines to be printed over the entire width of said textline, drive means for cyclically moving said endless canier so as to effect relative displacement between said supporting means and said type set carrier with regard to each other and a group of type actuating means in a determined position relative to said supporting means and adapted to actuate, dependent upon control by said storage unit, one single type in certain positions of said type set carrier confronting said printing surface, se eral types sinmltaneously in certain other positions, ans no types at all in yet other positions of said type set carrier relative to said printing surface, so that a complete text line is printed in each cycle of said type set carrier moving past said printing surf-ace, during which cycle the length of relative travel is maximally equal to the product of the number of one less than all the difierent char- 16 acter types multiplied by the type spacing in the type row.

20. A high speed printing apparatus of the type described comprising a number of typebearing elements, types on at least a part of said type bearing elements, an endless carrier for said type bearing elements and adapted for efiecting a cyclic movement of said type bearing elements in a given plane and in a straight movement over at least one given reach, means for supporting a paper web in a straight zone extending parallel to said given reach of said endless carrier and destined for the printing of a text line into said zone, means for shifting said paper web line by line in a direction perpendicular to said straight zone, means for elfecting said cyclic movement of said type bearing elements in said plane, said type bearing elements being disposed on said endless carrier next adjacent each other and adapted for engagement of said paper web zone, means for effecting a printing of a type character on said paper web, and meansfor disengaging said type bearing elements from engagement with said paper web after efiecting a printing.

21'. A high speed printing apparatus of the type described and comprising an endless carrier, a plurality of type bearing elements mounted on said endless carrier, there being types on at least a portion of said type bearing elements, said endless carrier being adapted for etfecting a cyclic movement of said type bearing elements in a given plane and a straight movement over at least one given reach thereof, means for supporting a paper web so that a straight zone thereof extends parallel to said given reach of said endless carrier and destined for the printing of a text line thereon, means for shifting said paper web line by line in a direction perpendicularto said straight zone, means for efiecting said cyclic movement of said type bearing elements in said plane, said type bearing elements being mounted "on said endless carrier adjacent each other, and means for eliecting a printing of a type character on said paper web.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Disclaimer 2,936,704.Th60 Heme, Wilhelmshaven, Germany. HIGH SPEED PRINT- ING APPARATUS. Patent dated May 17, 1960. Disclaimer filed Oct. 6, 1976, by the assignee, Olympia Weflce AG. Hereby enters this disclaimer to claims 1, 19, 20 and 21 of said patent.

[Ofiicz'al Gazette Decembew 7, 1.976.] 

